Italian Sausage Stuffing

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more if needed
1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
1 medium onion, chopped
2 celery stalks diced
8 ounces mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup golden raisins
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
1/2 cup toasted pecans, finely chopped
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Toss the sausage in a large skillet at med-high heat and breaking it into small pieces while cooking, until browned. Scoop sausage into a bowl and then add onion and celery to drippings in skillet along with a drizzle of oil. Cook until onions are translucent and celery is tender, about 6 minutes. Toss in mushrooms and thyme cooking, until mushrooms are softened, about 2 minutes. Add chicken broth and raisins, stirring and scraping browned bits from bottom of pan. Simmer about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in cooked sausage, remove from heat, and let cool slightly in pan. Put sausage mixture in a food processor or blender until very finely chopped. (If baking the stuffing outside a turkey, blend only until coarsely chopped or completely delete the blender if you like chunky stuffing.) Transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in breadcrumbs, pecans, egg, and stir just until moisten. Sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper. Let cool to room temperature.
This stuffing can be stuffed inside a turkey and if you want to cook it as a side dish. Place stuffing into a buttered baking dish. Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes at 375. The last 15 minutes uncover and let it brown.